Minimalism and Craft Blogging

Minimalism is about getting down to just the necessities while craft blogging tends to be about creating excess items. How can these two lifestyles co-exist? As I mentioned in my update about our journey towards simple living, my blogging has been pretty sporadic lately and that was mostly because I was confused by how our new semi-minimalist lifestyle could coincide with craft blogging. The two are kind of on opposite sides of the spectrum. 

I thought about the crafts that I wanted to make and write about. There are a couple of art pieces that I want to create for a blank wall in our home but that's about it. So then what? I want to continue writing but I don't want to make a craft just for the sake of a post. One popular blogger did that for awhile and finally realized that between the cost of the projects and all of the time spent writing and promoting the blog she ended up only making about $1 an hour. Since I don't want to spend a ton of time marketing the blog, my hobby that currently brings in a little bit of money would end up costing me money instead. Plus, what would I do with my projects once I was done? Just toss them?

For awhile I didn't have any answers to these questions that were floating around in my head so I would just write up a post if I happened to make something and then the blog would lie dormant for a couple of months. Finally I started thinking about some of the changes that we have made to simplify our lives and I wondered if anyone would be interested in reading about those things. Then one day while looking at my blog stats, I realized that some of my most popular posts have to do with cleaning, organizing, and simple slow-cooker meals. All of those things coincide perfectly with our current lifestyle! 

This won't become a devout minimalist blog because as much as I have been inspired by Miss Minimalist and other minimalist bloggers, we will probably never get down to just 100 possessions and I have no desire to have people walk into our home and think that we have been robbed. I don't want our home to be overwhelmed by clutter but I still want it to be fun, colorful, inviting, and a reflection of our personalities. 

So I will still be crafting but it will primarily be about taking functional items and putting a quirky, colorful spin on them so that the items I actually use also serve as decor. Most crafts will also involve re-purposing items because I hope to decorate our home with very little to no money. I will also continue to share recipes but they will involve more use of the crock pot, freezer meals, fewer ingredients and less processed foods.

When it comes down to it, the blog won't really change all that much since that has kind of been the goal from the beginning. Even the name of this blog comes from the Shel Silverstein poem about polishing your old, dull stars instead of buying shiny new ones so that has always been a big part of what this blog is about. 

I suppose the biggest obstacle when combining minimalism and craft/food blogging is marketability. If you want to become a successful blogger there are a few things that you have to do:

• Seasonal Projects/Recipes: The fastest way to grow your blog is to get featured on a bigger blog. However, most link parties chose their features based on a certain theme. Even if your project is amazing, it is unlikely to be featured if it doesn't revolve around an upcoming holiday.
• Photo Staging: Everything has to be Pinterest-Perfect. If you have an organizing tip it better involve color coordinated baskets. If you give a practical gift, you have to package it in an elaborate way. And it doesn't matter if you have a killer recipe or awesome craft - unless you take magazine worthy photos with a variety of props and backdrops.
• Product Placement: To really make money you have to accept sponsored posts which means reviewing a product or creating a craft centered around a certain product. 

Unfortunately none of these things line up with my priorities. I won't be creating many, if any, seasonal projects since we decided to cut down on seasonal decor that only gets used a couple of weeks out of the year and then has to be put in storage. For holiday recipes we will be going back to a couple of favorites instead of trying out new recipes in addition to the favorites we would make anyway.

While I try to make my photos as pretty and inspiring as possible, I have no desire to spend a ton of time and supplies on packaging that will just be thrown away. I also don't want to spend money on props and backdrops that I then have to store and spend extra time setting up before taking a photo. My husband already makes fun of me for taking pictures of our food before he is allowed to eat it and all I use is our everyday dinner plate and a plain white poster board as a backdrop. 

I accepted product placement ads a couple of times in the past and it didn't work out for me. I usually ended up creating something that I didn't love just to fulfill my obligation or I received a product that I didn't really need and could have easily done without. Both just create clutter on the blog and in my home.

So I guess what it all boils down to is that I will continue to do what I do because I like it and not worry about making the blog marketable. It would be awesome if the blog grew and generated more income to help my family reach our financial goals faster but it isn't worth changing our priorities or spending more time and money on marketing tactics that aren't even guaranteed to bring a return on the investment. 

Since I'm not worried about having a craft for every occasion, I no longer have a need for a room devoted to crafting with a closet full of supplies stacked floor to ceiling. I was able to let go of all of the various crafting mediums and all of the odds and ends that I had no plan for but "might use one day". All of my craft supplies now fit on one shelf in my closet. I craft at the kitchen table, blog from the couch, and all of my post ideas are easily contained in my household planner. Clearing away all of those excess things has forced me to become even more creative and I have a long list of ideas that I can't wait to blog about!

  

You can usually find me linking up at:

Monday: C.R.A.F.T * Keeping It Simple * Jam Hands * Tuesday: Not Just A Housewife * Sugar Bee Crafts * Homework * Wednesday:Someday Crafts * Ginger Snap Crafts * White Lights on Wednesday * Simply Designing Thursday: Tidy Mom * What's Cooking, Love? * Friday: The 36th Avenue * Link Party Palooza: Somewhat Simple, Today's Creative Blog, Tatertots and Jello, I Heart Naptime, Lil Luna Saturday: Six Sister's Stuff * Sunday: Flamingo Toes * Nifty Thrifty Things